Project

Arizona College Serves Up 5 MWs of Solar

Arizona Western College (AWC) in Yuma, Arizona, USA, broke ground in May 2011 on the largest college or university solar power renewable energy system in the US. It is slated to generate power in mid-September 2011, with a large community celebration in October. Its five megawatt system will provide 100 percent of the college's daytime power use in an area that receives 354 generating days per year. Owned and operated by Main Street Power, the solar installation includes five-1MW sites across the campus that showcases five different PV technologies: Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) panels from SolFocus and GreenVolts, thin-film tandem-junction amorphous-silicon panels from Sharp Solar, monocrystalline panels from Solar World, and polycrystalline panels from Suntech. Many of the solar installations will also use tracking devices that help maximize electricity generation. This may be the first utility-scale project to use five different solar technologies. It is estimated that the power produced could net the college about $40+ million dollars in energy cost savings and revenues provided through a 30-year power purchase agreement with Main Street Power. The installations are designed for access by students and researchers, and are integrated into curricula leading to certificates and renewable energy degrees. There is also a real-time online solar tracker that provides system data 24 hours per day. (Scroll to bottom for additional renewable energy and green building resources)